Columnist Sees Flaws In Utah's New 0.05 Blood-Alcohol Limit05:33

Copy the code below to embed the WBUR audio player on your site

In this Dec. 20, 2018, photo, Rob Wheatley, 50, drinks a beer, at the Beer Hive Pub, in Salt Lake City. The United States' lowest DUI threshold has taken effect in Utah. Lawmakers in the state approved the 0.05 percent blood-alcohol limit in 2017, and Gov. Gary Herbert signed it into law. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

In Utah, it was the first New Year's Eve with a new drunken driving law that makes it illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol level of 0.05 or higher. That's lower than the 0.08 standard the state had before. The new limit, backed by the National Transportation Safety Board, may pave the way for other states.

Here & Now's Robin Young talks with Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke (@RobertGehrke), who says research doesn't back up supporters' claims the new limit will save lives.